Car-coupling



(No Model.)

A'. NUTTING.

OAR COUPLING. No. 355,557. Patented Jan. 4, 1887.

746M666. v I Iwwnjor fir Mdrzkzndfioifizgq UNITED STATES ADRIAN NUTTING, OF GREENVILLE, TEXAS.

PATENT OFFicE,

CAR-COUPLING.

SPE CIPICATION To all whom it may concern: a w

Be it known that I, ADRIAN N UTTING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenvillc, in the county of Hunt and State of Texas, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Car- Oouplings, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide simple and novel means forcoupling cars by means of a hook and the ordinary link, without thenecessity of the brakeman entering between the car-platforms. Thisobject I accomplish in the manner and by the construction andcombination of devices hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing made to the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a sideelevation of a portion of a car, showing my improved coupling devicesapplied thereto.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and" use myinvention, I will now describe the same in detail, referring to thedrawing, where- The numeral 1 indicates a draw-head con nected with thecar in any suitable manner,

and provided with a vertical central slot, in which can rise and fall ahook, 2, pivoted at its rear end in the draw-head, as shown at 3. Theordinary coupling-link, 4, is adapted to engage the hook, and to operatethe latter I provide the following simple mechanism: A transverse shaft,5, is journaled in suitable bearings at the end of the car, andterminates at one or both ends in a crank-handle, 6. The shaft need onlyextend from the center of the end of the car to one side thereof, and atits inner end is rigidly attached a crank-arm, 7, having at its outerend a curved head, 8, the face of which is furnished witha curved grooveto receive and guide the chain 9. The head 8, ,7

at its upper end, is provided with a lateral lug, 10, to which issecured the upper end of the chain 9, the lower end of the latter beingconnected with the pivoted vertically-swinging hook, and to said lug isalso secured a rod,

forming part of Letters Patent No.355,657, dated-January 4, 1887,Application filed July 8, 1856. Serial No. 207,465. (No model.)

wire rope, or chain, 11, extending to the roof of the car.. The shaft 5is provided with a toothed or ratchet disk, 12, to be engaged by apivoted pawl, 13, mounted on a suitable Support, 14,

If a link enters the draw-head, it will strike the inclined face of thehook, lift the latter, and pass thereunder, when the hook, bygravity,will fall into engagement with the link. If it is desired touncouple the cars, the handle 6 is swung to rock the shalt 5, andthereby raise the crank-arm 7, thus drawing the chain and lifting thehook to disengage it from the link. In this movement the grooved curvedface of the head 80f the crank arm 7 guides the chain. The crank-armcan'be operated from the roof of the car by the rod 11, as will beobvious, and when the coupling-hook is elevated it may be held in thatposition by engaging the pawl 13 with the toothed or ratchet disk 12,thereby locking the shaft 5 in posi tion to prevent its rocking in suchdirection as would lower the hook.

The construction and operation of the devices are simple and efficient,and permit the coupling-hook to be conveniently raised or lowered fromthe side or from the top. of the car.

Having thus described myin'vention,whatI claim is The combination, witha draw-head and a" swinging coupling-hook pivoted therein, of therock-shaft having the crank-arn1 7, provided with the grooved head 8,the chain arranged in said groove and connected with the hook, theratchet-disk on the shaft, and the pawl for engaging the ratchet-disk,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ADRIAN NUTTING.

Witnesses:

JOHN CLARK, JOSEPH SMITH.

